Have writer's block? Hopefully this resource will help librarians identify publishing and presentation opportunities in library & information science, as well as other related fields. I will include calls for papers, presentations, participation, reviewers, and other relevant notices that I find on the web. If you find anything to be posted, please drop me a note. thanks -- Corey Seeman, University of Michigan(cseeman@umich.edu)

Reports do not have to be exhaustive, only informative. Please review the reports for the 2006 OLAC conference in the December 2006 newsletter, which can be found at http://www.olacinc.org under Newsletters, to get an idea of what is expected. Your report will be published in the OLAC Newsletter, with your name and affiliation credited in the byline of your report. For those on the tenure-track or in other positions where publication is expected, your report can be used as a publication credit in a non-peer reviewed library periodical.

Additionally, your report will help to inform those who were unable to attend the conference and to provide a record of what OLAC does to support and enrich the professional lives of its members.

If you have any interest in being a conference reporter, please contact me as soon as possible at mayoj@ecu.edu. Please indicate your reporting preferences, if any. Thanks for your consideration.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Share your research paper with other educatorsSubmission Deadline: Aug. 1, 2008Have you been looking for a venue to present your research in educational technology as a formal paper? The Texas Computer Education Association is offering an opportunity for researchers to formally publish and present their research papers to peers.

You are invited to share your knowledge with other educators by taking part in the Texas Computer Education Association’s third annual Educational Technology Research Symposium. This one-day event will be held Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009, at the Austin Convention Center in conjunction with the pre-convention days of the TCEA Annual Convention & Exposition.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend the TCEA Annual Convention and Exposition, “Accelerate Technology,” Feb. 2-6, 2009 at no extra cost. Last year, the TCEA annual convention attracted more than 12,000 attendees, exhibitors, and others. All those attending will receive a free copy of the bound proceedings book and will present their papers individually on the day of the event. The Symposium event also includes a keynote speaker and luncheon.

View the TCEA Educational Technology Research Symposium Call for Papers at http://www.tcea.org/convention/Symposium/Pages/default.aspx. Papers should consist of original (not previously published) or reported research on any and all aspects of Educational Technology. Papers will be peer reviewed using a double-blind referee process. Accepted papers will be published in the Symposium Proceedings book and on CD-ROM. These papers will serve as a source of information for educational technology research. TCEA may invite selected papers to be published in the TechEdge, TCEA’s quarterly journal.

The Texas Computer Education Association is the largest state organization devoted to the use of technology in education. Founded in 1980, the organization has been very active in supporting instructional technology. Click here to find out more about TCEA.

Monday, July 14, 2008

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: SPARC DIGITAL REPOSITORIES MEETING – INNOVATION FAIRRegistration now open for November event

(July 14, 2008) SPARC, in partnership with SPARC Europe and SPARC Japan (an initiative of the National Institute of Informatics), is hosting the SPARC Digital Repositories Meeting 2008, November 17 and 18, at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.

Librarians, researchers, funders, administrators, government officials, publishers, and technologists from around the world will share their experiences and best practices in building and supporting institutional and disciplinary digital repositories. The focus will be on effectiveengagement with scholars and scientists to expand the sharing of research outputs via open repositories.

The meeting program, being developed by a diverse and expert program committee, will delve into four key areas: The Policy Environment, New Horizons, Building Bridges: Campus Publishing Strategies, and Value-Added Services. These tracks will be supplemented with anInnovation Fair and a Practicum on marketing and advocacy.

The organizers now invite proposals to the Innovation Fair. TheInnovation Fair is an event inspired by Open Repositories’ MinuteMadness that invites participants to present, in no more than two orthree minutes, innovative or creative approaches to:

Fair projects will be featured on the Crowdvine network for the conference at http://sparc08.crowdvine.com, where presenters will be asked to post their slide or graphic on the network in a blog post. Meeting participants will be encouraged to constructively comment,build, and expand upon them with new ideas through their own posts and graphics.

For details and to submit a proposal to the Innovation Fair, visithttp://www.arl.org/sparc/ir08. Submissions must be received no laterthan August 10.

The SPARC Digital Repositories Meeting 2008 is supported by majorcontributions from Microsoft (Conference Sponsor), Berkeley ElectronicPress and BioMed Central (Coffee Break Sponsors), and by additionalcontributions from a number of Supporting Organizations.

This is the first North American SPARC digital repositories conferencesince the organization’s popular 2004 meeting, which drew hundreds ofparticipants from around the globe and set the stage for some of the keydevelopments of the past four years.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Do you have something interesting to show your colleagues? Or perhaps you solved a unique or sticky problem? If so, then a poster session is for you. All types of libraries and all librarians, staff members and Library Science students are invited to participate at the 2008 Michigan Library Association Annual Conference in Kalamazoo. Sessions for poster presentations will be located near the exhibit hall, which should generate great traffic to your presentation.

Guidelines for the poster session:

* Poster sessions can introduce unique collections or services, discuss a problem and the research, action, or methodology used to solve that problem, or outline findings of research or study.* Displays should be visually appealing (charts, photographs, diagrams, graphics, illustrations, etc.) and should clearly state the purpose of the display. Displays should also be large enough to be seen from several feet distant.* Presenters should also bring handouts or other supplementary materials (no duplication services will be provided) and a sign up sheet to record names and addresses of attendees who would like further information. An ample supply of business cards are also encouraged.* A tack board panel measuring 4 x 6 feet mounted on a freestanding easel or tabletop will be provided.* There will also be table space for participants to place handouts or other supplementary material.* One author must be present at all times to answer questions from conference attendees.* Displays must be set up 15 minutes prior to the assigned time and taken down within 15 minutes after the session. Once assigned, your time will not change

Send a 250-word abstract of your session with your name, institution contact information and any other colleagues by July 15 to: David Scott (scottd@ferris.edu)

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

The Editors of Library and Information Research invite papers from practitioners, consultants and academic researchers that address the unique joys and challenges of workplace libraries. We welcome papers on:* Use of information in the workplace* Marketing the workplace library and demonstrating value to the organisation* Web 2.0 in the workplace* User education and training in the workplace* Professional development for the workplace librarian* Regulatory, legal and policy implications for workplace libraries* Digital libraries in the workplaceThis list is not exhaustive. The journal’s focus is on linking research and practice so an emphasis on research with a practical application is especially welcome. We publish papers from both experienced and new researchers. Authors may choose whether their paper is sent for peer review and considered for publication in the refereed section of the journal, or whether they wish it to be considered for publication as a non-peer-reviewed research paper. Unrefereed papers will still be subject to editorial review.

Critical pedagogy seeks to identify, critique, and disrupt the inequalities of the dominant culture, thus equipping learners to transform oppressive social, cultural, and economic conditions. While many theorists, critics, and practitioners have considered how critical pedagogical strategies and perspectives might be employed in higher education, the academic library remains mostly absent in these discussions. There have been few interventions in the library literature with specific reference to critical pedagogy, but these perspectives mostly consider critical literacy applications. Other forms of critical pedagogy, such as feminist, queer, and anti-racist, have yet to be fully explored in the context of the library instruction classroom. We intend for this book to intervene in this gap in the literature.

Objective of book

This book, to be published by Library Juice Press in September 2009, proposes to consider the following questions: How might library instruction benefit from exploring critical pedagogical strategies? What challenges are posed by the unique requirements of library instruction? And how might our use of critical pedagogical strategies help us embed library instruction in the critical classrooms on our campuses? We invite proposals that 1) investigate intersections between critical pedagogy and the library instruction classroom and 2) identify pedagogical applications that can be adopted in library instruction programs.

Target audience

The target audience for this book includes librarians who teach, library instruction program coordinators, faculty and instructors interested in bringing librarians into the classroom, and librarians interested in developing liberatory and anti-oppressive professional practices.

Suggested topics

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:• Envisioning what critical pedagogy might do for the library instruction classroom• Examination of specific types of critical pedagogies--such as queer, feminist, or anti-racist--and their implications for the library instruction classroom• Discussions of particular theories/theorists (e.g. Paulo Friere, Lisa Delpit, Peter Mclaren, Henry Giroux, Deborah Britzman, etc.) and their relevance for library instruction• Illustrations of how critical pedagogy works in practice• Examples of instruction sessions taught from a critical pedagogy framework• Explorations of how critical pedagogy intersects with student and faculty research• Considerations of how critical pedagogy can inform selection and collection development decisions• Imagining how critical pedagogy can be useful in other teaching contexts -- e.g., during the reference interview, in workshops, when librarians teach in community spaces

Submission procedurePlease submit abstracts and proposals of up to 500 words and a short author's statement to criticallibraryinstruction@googlegroups.com by September 15, 2008, with notification by November 15. Final manuscripts of between 1500 and 5000 words will be due February 15.

SLA (Special Library Association, USA) - Asian Chapter 2008 in association with Society for Library Professionals and Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres (IASLIC) is organizing an "International conference of Asian Special Libraries on Shaping the future of special libraries: beyond boundaries" to be held at India Islamic Cultural Centre,Lodhi Road, New Delhi, India from 26-28 November 2008.

Some of the objectives of the Conference are to bring together special library professionals to a common platform, to promote special libraries, and facilitate the exchange of ideas and help to bridge the knowledge gap amongst the professionals associated with special libraries and to develop the professional competent. This seminar is expected to attract more than 1000participants from India, Asia and the globe. You are invited to attend the same. For details please visit:http://units.sla.org/chapter/cas/ICoASL2008.html

Submission of Papers

Participants are welcome to contribute papers for presentation on the abovethemes and related themes. The Papers should be based on research surveys; casestudies or action plans rather than theoretical explanations and should notpublish earlier. Papers should be sent to asiansla@gmail.com

Dates to RememberLast Date for Submission of Abstract/ Proposal - July 15, 2008Last Date for Submission of Final Papers - September 15, 2008Early Bird Registration - September 30, 2008Last Date for Registration - November 15, 2008

Call for Book Reviewers: Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship Special Issue on Statistics and Library Usage.

The Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship is planning a special issue as stated below on statistics and library usage. As part of this, as book reviewer editor, I am seeking individualsto write reviews of a number of books related to the topic.

The Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship (JERL) http://www.jerl-info.com is a peer-reviewed journal addressing issues in electronic resources librarianship. The journal ispublished quarterly by The Haworth Press (Taylor & Francis). Submissions are being accepted for a special issue of this journal titled, "Electronic Resources Usage Statistics: Research& Practice," guest edited by John McDonald, Director of Information & Bibliographic Management and Faculty Relations, Claremont University Consortium.

JERL aims to inform librarians and other information professionals about evolving work-related processes and procedures, current research and the latest news on topics related to electronic resources and the digital environment's impact on collecting, acquiring, and making accessible library materials. This issue of JERL will focus on the use of statistics and quantitative or qualitative data analysis relating to the acquisition and management of electronic resources in libraries. Articles will include original research on journal and database usage statistics, collections decisions, electronic books, and library services in general.

JERL strives to find a balance between original, scholarly research, and practical communications about relevant topics in electronic resources librarianship.

The journal will publish the following types of articles:

* Peer-reviewed articles of a scholarly (original research) nature

* Practice-related articles, such as case studies or pieces on the state of the field/new areas of work

* Review articles of books, conferences, and other resources of interest in the field

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the theory, application or usage of statistics in collection development, including:

assessment and evaluation of e-resourcesdetermining value of e-resourceseconomics of e-resources in librariese-resources usage by format types (online journals, e-books, databases)standards development for statistics relating to digital resources and collectionsstatistical research relating to usability of resources or user preferencesinformation needs and behaviors of usersstatistical affect of access & discovery toolsevidence of changes in the nature of research in the digital environmentstatistics on digital Libraries and digital repositoriesstatistics supporting collection planningnovel techniques for statistical research on bibliometric data

Afterword: Suzanne Bunkers, Professor of English, Minnesota State University, editor of Diaries of Girls and Women: a Midwestern American Sampler (University of Wisconsin Press)

This is a book about writing and publishing about family by women with family publication credits. Possible subjects: markets; why women write about family; using life experience; networking; unique issues women must overcome; formal education; queries and proposals; conference participation; self-publishing; teaching tips; family in creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, novels. Contributors have already covered: blogs, using family history, managing time, privacy issues.

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful to readers. Please avoid writing about "me" and concentrate on what will help the reader. A question and answer format for interviews may be used.

Word total for 1-2 articles based on your experience: 1,900 minimum; maximum 2,100. Two articles preferred. If submitting 2, please break them up fairly evenly in word count. No previously published or simultaneously submitted material; no co-authors.

Deadline: August 30, 2008

Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies. It is common for compilation of an anthology to take upwards of a year, but I will be in touch with updates on securing a publisher.

Editor: Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers (Peter Lang, 2006); chapbook, (Pudding House 2008); The Published Librarian (American Library Association, forthcoming). My work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Iris, The Detroit News, several others including anthologies; Words and Images of Belonging co-edited with the editor of the Aurorean is with an agent; a recent book is http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3

Please send topics for feedback/65-70 word bio. Place FAMILY and your name on the subject line, send to: smallwood@tm.net

Afterword by Dr. Loriene Roy, 2007-2008 President of the American Library Association. Professor, University of Texas at Austin, founder of "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything," a national reading club for Native American children.

Please consider sharing the important milestones, life changing events, transitions in your life--material that would broadly fit the "Women's Studies" genre that is highly readable, moving and relatable. There are the passages that occur to us (for example, losing a loved one, and then the passages we choose (such as adopting a child). Please focus on those pivotal moments and why they were important passages for you.

Suggestions for topics as of yet relatively unexplored: changing/leaving/going back to a new or former religion or mode of spirituality (no preaching, please); how a companion/rescue animal changed your life; how participation in outdoor adventure changed your life; deciding to volunteer; milestones about deciding to be true to yourself (such as coming out, ending a negative friendship, setting healthy boundaries).

This book celebrates our passages as women, from one moment into another, from one door to the next. Often it is after the navigation, that in reflection, we see that some of the most difficult are the ones we have learned the most and have had lasting effects as well on those around us.

Guidelines for The Poet in Us: Tips on Writing by and for Today's Women and/or Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages:

Step 1: send your proposed topics before writing articles to avoid duplication; proposed topics must be accompanied by a 65-70 word bio with your present position, location, relevant publications, career highlights for the contributor page; please use POETS or PASSAGES/your name on the subject line to brackett-vincent@encirclepub.com.

Step 2:(if your topics are approved): deadline for submissions (by e-mail only) is August 30, 2008. Again, please use POETS or PASSAGES in the subject line; send to Cynthia at brackett-vincent@encirclepub.com in a Word document (.doc format only) using 12-point font.

Article specifics: word total for 1-2 articles based on your experience: 1,900 minimum; maximum 2,100. Two articles preferred. If submitting two articles, please break them up fairly evenly in word count.

No previously published or simultaneously submitted material. Contributors must be reside in the U.S. Books such as this can typically take up to a year to compile. Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies.

Co-editor Cynthia Brackett-Vincent is publisher/editor of the esteemed Aurorean poetry journal; poetry instructor; award-winning poet; author of The 95 Poems chapbook (2005) and contributor to Educators as Writers: Publishing for Personal and Professional Development. In 2007, her poems received a citation, honorable mention and second place in the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, New England Writers and Maine Poets Society competitions. View Cynthia at http://www.encirclepub.com/poetry/aurorean/editor

Co-editor, Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers for Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited. An award-winning writer, her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Iris, and several others including anthologies; chapbook, Pudding House 2008; Educators as Writers, Peter Lang 2006;and http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3

Deadline: August 30, 2008

Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies. It is common for compilation of an anthology to take upwards of a year, but I will be in touch with updates on securing a publisher.

Editor: Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers (Peter Lang, 2006); chapbook, (Pudding House 2008); The Published Librarian (American Library Association, forthcoming). My work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Iris, The Detroit News, several others including anthologies; Words and Images of Belonging co-edited with the editor of the Aurorean is with an agent; a recent book is http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3

Please send topics for feedback/65-70 word bio. Place FAMILY and your name on the subject line, send to: smallwood@tm.net

Afterword by the editors of Iris Magazine, an award-winning publication of 27 years celebrating and empowering young women through provocative articles, essays, and fiction pieces that are uplifting, inclusive, and literate. http://womenscenter.virginia.edu/coreprograms/iris.html

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful. Please avoid writing about "me" and concentrate on what will most help the reader. A question and answer format for interviews may be used.

Deadline: August 30, 2008

Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies. It is common for compilation of an anthology to take upwards of a year, but I will be in touch with updates on securing a publisher.

Editor: Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers (Peter Lang, 2006); chapbook, (Pudding House 2008); The Published Librarian (American Library Association, forthcoming). My work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Iris, The Detroit News, several others including anthologies; Words and Images of Belonging co-edited with the editor of the Aurorean is with an agent; a recent book is http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3

Please send topics for feedback/65-70 word bio. Place FAMILY and your name on the subject line, send to: smallwood@tm.net

Contributors must have significant publication credits for practical, concise, how-to articles to help the reader. No previously published, simultaneously submitted, co-authored material. Two articles sharing the range of your publishing experiences: 1900-2100 words total; for example, one article could be 1000 words, another 900-1100 words on another topic. Librarians with ethnic backgrounds serving diverse cultures are encouraged. Contributor's sign a Writer Agreement with ALA before publication.

Editor Carol Smallwood, MLS, has written, co-authored, edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers for Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited, Peter Lang, and others. Her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, The Detroit News, Poesia, and several others including anthologies. Pudding House Publications published her chapbook, 2008; Words and Images of Belonging co-edited with Aurorean editor is with an agent; a recent book ishttp://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3

Possible topics: marketing, online publishing, where to send reviews, research skills for historical novels, using editing a library newsletter to edit books, diversity in publication, ideas from students for YA books, using tools like BIP to locate publishers for your books, storytellers turned picture book authors, blogs and author web sites, interviewing, writing groups, networking, using a technology edge, promoting your books at conferences. Using issues librarians face such as censorship in poetry, essays, memoir, short stories, columns.

Deadline August 30, 2008

Please send more than 2 topic proposals for feedback using MS Word; a sample article may be requested. Compensation: a complimentary copy, discount on additional copies. Please submit topics for consideration with a 65-70 word bio beginning with your library of employment, highlighting your publications. Place LIBRARIANS/your name on the subject line to: smallwood@tm.net

Most developed countries have ageing populations and people who are living longer. What are the implications and opportunities for public libraries? This fourth annual Auslib conference will help public libraries in Australia and New Zealand to plan inclusive strategies to identify and meet the needs of older adults. Next Chapters will have international, New Zealand and Australian speakers, panel sessions, targeted recommendations to governments, and full published proceedings. Its aims are to• Identify who are today’s older adults, where they are, what they want, how you can give them what they want, and how you can tell them that you have what they want.• Increase the awareness of public librarians and others about public library initiatives for older adults now occurring internationally and in Australia and New Zealand.• Increase political awareness of the unique scope and return on investment in public libraries.

The first concerns academic library reference services and some of the issues that will be covered include: virtual reference, commercial virtual reference systems, use of e-books, reference acquisisitons, reference software and web applications, use of reference wikis, marketing online reference services and other issues of interest to academic reference librarians.The second is for a project on psychology librarianship.

Responsibilities: Devise a questionnaire, recruit 9-10 library participants, administer the questionnaire online or by phone. Follow up each online or email interview with a brief phone interview to flesh out and develop the points raised in the email or online interview. Write an introduction or summary of results. Edit report for content. About half of the participants should be major research universities.

We estimate about 3,000 words of original writing, time spent to recruit participants, plus about 20-25 hours or so on average contacting participants and drawing out explanations, clarifications and expansions of their submissions. Each submission should average about 1,500 words.

For this project you need:

• Contacts in the broader academic library community to recruit participants, half of which should be from major research universities

• Good writing skills since you will be responsible for writing an introduction and summary and also adding to the submissions submitted by participants;

• Journalistic interviewing skills – since some participants will need to be interviewed by phone and you will have to draw them out and add to their answers, sometimes considerably.

• Knowledge of the main issues for the topic covered since you will be partially responsible for questionnaire development.

Each requires email interviews followed up by phone calls to 9 academic libraries.

The San Diego Chapter of the Special Libraries Association is seeking speakers for our annual full-day professional development seminar to be held at Amylin Pharmaceuticals in San Diego on October 3, 2008.

The seminar theme is "Web Services: Embracing the Web as the Library's Core Service Space."

Please mark your calendar to attend the seminar and consider submitting a proposal to speak at the seminar.

* Practical applications (how-to) and not just theory* Case studies demonstrating innovation and relevant to academic libraries, corporate libraries and other types of special libraries* Impacts and metrics relating to using the Web as a library's core service space

Speakers discussing case studies will want to cover how initiatives came about, how they were implemented, what daily functioning looked like, benefits to all parties and lessons learned. Success is not required, as we often learn more from what went wrong.

Each speaker will have approximately 45 minutes, for her or his presentation and Q&A. Speakers may be invited to join a panel, in which case the time allotted may differ.

We encourage submissions from librarians and LIS graduate students working in all types of libraries. SLA membership is not required.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Eastern Great Lakes-Innovative Users Group invites you to present your ideas, experiences and views on the various modules of the Innovative Interfaces system at our annual fall meeting, Friday, September 19, 2008 at The Conference Center at OCLC in Dublin, Ohio.

* All levels, including basic or demonstration programs, which will be highlighted for the first time at EGL, are encouraged and welcomed.* Sessions may take the form of presentations or panel discussions (45 minutes in length), or demonstrations (20 minutes in length).* Birds of a feather (BOF) sessions may take the form of discussions on a particular topic, module or issue(s).